On the 5th of March Catherine de Sélys discovered her husband hidden behind a large oak-tree (II), a revolver aimed in the direction of an old lime-tree (III), in the shade of which Oskar Serti was sleeping. So the advances Oskar had been making to her the night before had not escaped the attention of her husband. Catherine felt so wretched about having responded to Oskar’s rendez-vous that she hid behind a willow-tree (I), not knowing whether she should intervene or not
Lowering her eyes in shame, she saw at the foot of her tree the crumpled form of a young bird which had fallen too soon out of its nest. She picked it up and threw it violently in the direction of her husband (from I to II). Catherine enjoyed the next moment with the satisfaction of having done her duty : if the bird still had a little more strength to fly it would save its life; if it landed on her husband he would be surprised by it and, in a surge of humanity, would leave Oskar alive...